Michael DeCosta

Biography

Michael DeCosta is a Partner in Caldwell Partners’ Stamford office, and a member of both the firm’s Professional Services and Legal practices. With more than fifteen years of experience in executive search, Michael focuses on recruiting senior-level executives for management and IT consulting, accounting and law firms.

Michael joined the firm from Korn/Ferry International, where he was a senior client partner in both the Legal Specialty Practice and Services Sector. Previously, he served as senior recruiting manager for Deloitte & Touche, where he helped launch a highly successful senior-level recruiting group focused on attracting partners and directors into the firm’s global leadership team. He also recruited across several industry practices, including healthcare, financial services, energy and public sector – which he led for all of North America – and its technology specialty practices.

Michael began his career in the emergency medical services industry, where he served as director of marketing for one of the largest ambulance service providers in the U.S.

Michael is frequently asked to speak about professional services and legal career management at prominent industry conferences, including events organized by the Legal Marketing Association, Catapult Partners, NYU Stern School of Business, ALM’s Law Firm Marketing & Business Development Leadership Forum and the NYC Bar Association. He has also written and contributed to numerous white papers, and presently writes a career column for legal industry newsletter Marketing The Law Firm, and serves on its board of editors. He has also served on several community boards, including the local Tax District and the Charter Revision Commission.

Michael earned his master’s degree in American studies with a concentration in labor history from Fairfield University, graduating summa cum laude, and holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Marist College.

Connect with Our Team

What Our Clients Say

“We very much appreciated the professionalism and thoroughness of Caldwell’s approach to our board director searches. Very pleased with the outcome and would definitely engage Caldwell again in future assignments.”

-An energy processing, transporting, and marketing company

Recent Insights

With the boomer generation transitioning into retirement, 40 percent of leaders currently at the helm of family-owned companies will retire in the next five years, according to a statistic cited by the National Association of Corporate Directors as part of its Director’s Handbook Series. With four in 10 heads of such firms set to step down, it is all the more important to strengthen corporate boards.